Steal
by CoillnabPucai
Summary: Having her confirm what he had assumed felt like he was somehow responsible for the broken spirit of this beautiful woman. Aren’t you, Jackson? Look at her. If she wasn’t broken before… A special Christmas treat! Here's Chapter Eight!
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Lisa watched him go, willing him to turn around and smile at her once more. Their small meeting had to have meant something, especially on the day of the funeral. He had surprisingly lifted her spirits considerably, something that not even her dad could have accomplished without a hefty bribe of cookie dough ice cream. He had even, without any knowledge, given her that small push to move on with her life. She recalled something her grandmother had told her during her visit two years ago.

_"No matter who you meet in your life, remember that the tiniest, insignificant detail about them can make a bigger impact in your life than you could_ ever_ imagine."_

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Red Eye, or Jackson, or Lisa. If I did, I wouldn't be writing.....

**Author's Note**: This is my first Red Eye fanfiction, and I would really appreciate any reviews! This story was inspired by many stories in the Red Eye fandom here at , so if there are any similarities between my story and another, apologies, but you inspired me!

Finally, a big hug and thank you to my beta BregoBeauty for all your intuitive insight and ever-so subtle attempts at making me a better writer. Any mistakes found are my own, and apologies!

Enjoy the story, and don't forget to leave a memento of your visit to this page!

Chapter One

The elderly lady smiled and gratefully accepted the book. Glancing back at the handsome man behind the young girl, she grimaced and turned to face the check-in desks. A short, worn-out looking woman from the airport staff hollered over the chattering of the crowd, calling for a re-route. A tall, bulky man slouched next to the young woman, his face contorting into rage as passengers behind him began to make their way towards the front.

"Uh, excuse me? You're letting them go, but we've been standing here for over an hour? How does that happen?"

O-O-O

Lisa silently watched, hoping he wasn't going to cause a scene. This man obviously thought he was speaking for everybody as he stared indignantly at the staff member. The poor woman feebly tried to placate him, but instead managed to further enrage him.

"Oh, so it doesn't matter that you cancelled my first flight, and then re-routed me _twice_…"

Lisa sighed and carefully wrapped her music player up.

"_Just_ get your boss! This is ridiculous!" He waved his ticket in front of the staff member's face.

Leaning forward, Lisa raised her voice slightly, finding her hotel reflexes kick in.

"Sir, please don't make her do that. She's doing the best she can."

"I don't think I was talking to you," the man seethed, glaring down at her as if she were a child.

"No, I realise that, but –"

Lisa jumped and leaned back as the man menacingly turned towards her and raised his voice, "Listen, I'm just –"

A sharp voice cut through the older man's argument. Glancing behind her, Lisa saw a young man, no older than herself, dressed smartly in a suit with a newspaper held in one hand. She couldn't help but stare at him as he spoke, admiring the way his eyes glittered at the angered passenger. Lisa suddenly found herself attracted to this stranger with the face so handsome adorned with eyes so dangerous.

"Listen, she's the only one standing between us getting out of here at all and total anarchy," drawled the man behind her

"Yeah, but –" began the irate passenger, before wheeling round to stare into the younger man's face as he gripped his arm, his fingers clamped around in a vice-like hold.

"She's tired. She's been working for eighteen hours straight and she suspects we all hate her just as much as you do. What do you say we give her a break? Let her go back to a job which I'm guessing is _a lot_ more thankless than yours."

Lisa held her breath, her mind reeling as to how straightforward this man was being. Glancing up, her heart stopped at how dangerous this man looked, his eyes icy, and his eyebrows slightly rose as if challenging the angry man. Opening his mouth, he quickly sighed and instead flicked his gaze over to Lisa before clenching his jaw.

"This airline_ sucks_," he snapped childishly, before wrenching his arm out of the tight grip and stalking away.

O-O-O

Jackson smiled triumphantly, tucking his newspaper beneath his arm. He looked down at Lisa, who turned to glance at him, and grimaced, earning a small smile from her. Jackson clenched his jaw when she turned away, mentally composing himself. It was all an act.

Jackson watched as she rushed forward to hand the elderly lady her forgotten umbrella. When she thanked him, Jackson bobbed his head and replied. He was slightly caught off guard when Lisa thanked him, glancing at him only once as she did so. He wondered why she avoided eye contact.

"Ah, not at all. That was just back-up. You got the ball rolling."

Jackson glanced behind as he said this, his eyes automatically scanning and spotting the crowd for his own. He didn't linger for too long, knowing he would need to be as discreet as possible. Two of them were more than enough.

O-O-O

Lisa lifted her head and smiled, her eyes catching his. She quickly looked away and bobbed her head in acknowledgement, hoping that he didn't notice a small blush creeping up her neck.

"Yeah," she laughed, keeping her hands busy to brush aside nerves. "Reflex, I guess."

O-O-O

Jackson watched her carefully, noting the way she nimbly fiddled around with her belongings to make it look completely natural. _Oh Leese,_ he thought, smiling.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?" he asked.

O-O-O

She sighed tiredly and said, "I work in a hotel. I deal with people like that all the time."

Lisa braved up and once more looked up into the beautiful eyes of this man. She could almost laugh aloud as to how he was desperately feigning interest, _just_ to keep up conversation.

_Well, you were the one who said 'thank you', smart ass. Deal with the consequences…_ she thought. _Besides, there's no harm in a little small talk._

"Oh, the…the Marriott? The Hilton…?" he trailed off, gesturing for her to step in.

"The…Lux Atlantic," she sighed, nodding. "It's in Mi –"

"Miami, yeah," he finished. "I know it well."

Before Lisa could respond to that, he began to strike up a conversation with her. Their conversation drifted and she found them discussing nachos and the Tex Mex. Apparently, there was one right across from their gate.

O-O-O

"Save you a seat?" Jackson offered his mouth dry and his throat clogged up, forcing him to swallow. _Smooth, Rippner. Impeccably smooth._

O-O-O

"Oh, eh…." _Snap out of it, Lisa, it's not a date. He's just being friendly_.

They both laughed quietly, the man looking away in embarrassment as she rejected his offer. He quickly composed himself and looked at her again.

"Yeah, you know, that was…I just thought that since we were on the same flight…I didn't mean to invade your personal space or…"

Lisa inwardly grimaced at her lack of control and immediately regretted her babbling. "No, no…"

Before she could say anything, she was being called over to the check-in.

"Uh, it's just….I have a few…calls to make," she lamely finished.

O-O-O

Jackson nodded his head and allowed her to quickly excuse herself, telling her to have a good flight. He watched her for a couple of seconds, clenching his jaw with his head held high.

_All a part of the plan, _he assured himself.

O-O-O

Lisa carefully tucked her airline ticket away and began to make her way towards the gate lounge. As she looked around for a seat, she overhead a middle aged woman ask her daughter if she was going to be okay. Lisa allowed herself to smile wistfully as she listened to the conversation.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure," replied the girl, Rebecca.

She glanced over at Lisa and rolled her eyes as if to say 'parents, honestly'. Lisa let out a small laugh as she recalled her father asking her the same question not long before.

"I'm eleven, not _nine!_" Rebecca sulked.

Lisa began to turn away when she spotted 'handsome guy from check-in line' sat alone at the Tex Mex bar. Lisa frowned slightly, noting the empty seat next to him. Had he saved her a seat in hopes that she would change her mind? He stared into the crowd and thoughtfully rubbed his chin. Was he thinking about her? She watched as the barman served him a plate of nachos, warning him it was hot.

_Maybe I should take him up on that offer?_ She thought, tilting her head slightly.

Maybe it would do some good to her confidence if she _did _take his offer up. Lisa's lips stretched out into a thin line before she turned to make her way to the bathroom. In a moment of frozen shock, Lisa gasped as a cup full of iced mocha made its way down her blouse. The coldness of the drink shocked her so much, she couldn't even shriek out. The lady who spilled her drink began to make excuses and assure Lisa it was cold.

_Really? You think?_ Lisa bit back her sarcastic reply.

As the lady apologised profusely, Lisa watched as she turned away and hollered for her husband.

"What you finished that one _already?_"

"Someone's wearing it!"

_Gee, sorry to cause you such trouble. _Lisa cleared her throat and swiped at a cold droplet slowly inching its way down her top. She glanced at Jackson and noticed he didn't notice the small exchange. He was busy munching on his hot plate of nachos.

O-O-O

Jackson drummed his fingers against the bar, casually picking out a nacho every now and then to quench his hunger.

"I _did_ tell you to have dinner before you leave," a voice drifted over from Jackson's left.

Jackson barely flinched, instead picking up another nacho and carefully savouring the taste. He pretended to ignore the man who sat next to him, instead signalling the waiter for another drink.

"She's in the bathroom, Jackson. Elise distracted her to give us a chance to talk."

Jackson turned to his associate and watched him, his eyes cold.

"I already _talked_ to you, Loren. Or are you forgetting your role of the irate passenger?"

Loren ignored his comment and reached over to sneak a nacho. "You're getting too close, Jackson. I heard the way you spoke to her after I left and –"

"I seem to recall that _I _was the manager. Correct me if I'm wrong but things go the way _I _want them to, you got that? I already had to deal with _three _of you, all of which were too close for comfort. Keep your distance and play your part, do you understand?" Jackson's eyes glittered as he stared at his worker, his jaw clenching in anger at having to speak to him in public. "Leave."

Loren huffed and jumped off his seat, stealing a handful of nachos. Turning to leave, he stopped and quietly said, "Joe called and said he noticed an agent. He thinks he and Dane are being watched."

With that, Loren turned to leave and left Jackson seething.

_Son of a bitch_, Jackson cursed. His appetite gone, he carelessly pushed away the plate and instead turned to his drink. If anything, he'd make sure this plan would be carried out smoothly.

O-O-O

Lisa sighed in annoyance as the stain from her blouse refused to wash away.

_Out of all the blouses, it had to be this one,_ she thought. Throwing away the damp tissue paper, she quickly began to unbutton her shirt. Glancing at herself in the mirror, Lisa's eyes immediately dropped to her scar. It was a stark contrast against her pale body; above her breast, upraised and dark pink, it was a mark she would bear for her entire life.

She looked down at it grimly, wishing that she could one day forget about the past and how her entire life had changed after the incident. She looked at herself in the mirror again, this time making eye contact with herself. She looked tired. Her eyes lacked the fiery passion of her former self.

Looking away, she reached into her suitcase and pulled out another top.

O-O-O

Jackson tapped his fingers on his glass, watching the crowd again. To the casual observer he seemed to be simply watching. Taking a long sip of his glass, his eyes caught a small figure heading towards him. He turned his head slightly and found Lisa cautiously striding to the bar. He almost choked on his drink.

Straightening himself out, he looked eager as he spoke with surprise, "Oh, hi!"

"Hi. Ah, is this…taken?" She gestured to the empty seat.

"No, it's all yours," he offered, smiling triumphantly.

She sat down and began to, once again, shuffle her luggage around. He watched her carefully, noting the way she was uncomfortable around him.

"So," he began, a cocky smile forming. "Did you get your…_calls_….made?"

O-O-O

Lisa stopped and mentally slapped herself. _Great excuse, wasn't it?_

"Yep," she slowly said, nodding. "No more calls."

Looking away, she avoided eye contact. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe one word of her excuse. By the way he continued to stare at her and smile mysteriously, she wondered if he was happy to see her accept his offer. Lisa found herself wondering if she could build a relationship with this man; the first to have caught her eye after two years of solitude.

"Good," he agreed. "What'll you have?"

Lisa sucked in a breath and glanced at the bar. "Oh, uh…no…it's…I'm okay."

_Chicken._

"If I can guess," he said bluntly, leaving her no choice.

She was surprised, and a little weary, but agreed with him only to stall in hopes that their flight would be called sooner, rather than later.

He straightened up and made a face. "Um….I'm feeling vodka." She sat up straight and inclined her head. "Definitely sweetened." Lisa couldn't help but smile back at his smug smirk. "Um…Cosmo?"

O-O-O

He watched carefully, knowing what to expect. She indicated her head and began to say 'no' but stopped herself.

"No…way too common." She laughed at his comment, once again keeping her eyes downcast. "Screwdriver?" She made a face of disgust and they both laughed together. "No, no. Way too…boring."

_And we all know how you hate boring, right Leese?_

He sensed her watching her carefully, so he looked into the bar as if to narrow down his results. He saw by her body language how she had begun to relax around him as he played his game.

"So, that leaves me with the simplicity of the grapefruit…or the complexity of the pineapple…" he trailed off, thinking hard and drumming his fingers on the bar.

O-O-O

Lisa's heart was pounding in her chest. This wasn't possible, she thought. If he guessed correctly…

"Grapefruit sea breeze," he concluded, smiling as if he had known all along.

Lisa fought the urge to drop open her mouth in shock. This guessing game had been fun up until he had narrowed it down to the final two. Here he was, a total stranger, and he had guessed her favourite drink within a matter of seconds. No matter how attractive she found this man, there was no way she would give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right. His eyes narrowed slightly, before she turned to the bar, and kept eye contact with him, ordering her drink.

"Uh, could I have a…_bay_ breeze?"

The bartender smiled and nodded, having overheard their conversation. The stranger exhaled heavily and pouted, looking extremely put out by his incorrect assumption.

"That's a very impressive talent, though," she assured, nodding. "_Very _close."

_Too close._

He casually shrugged and gestured with one hand. "You know…breaks the ice."

She nodded her head in agreement, the pair sharing a small laugh.

O-O-O

"So, are you headed home?" he enquired.

"Yeah…_trying_," she emphasised.

"Yeah, flying is so much fun these days, huh?"

She exhaled heavily. "Fun for me is just getting off that plane in one piece."

_Define 'one piece'_.

He twisted his face sympathetically. "Oh…fear of flying?"

"Yeah…just…just a little." She indicated with her index finger and thumb, half an inch.

_Lie number two, Leese? What else are you gonna lie about? I know everything about you._

"Were you in Texas on…hotel business?"

Her smile dropped. "No…my grandmother died."

"Oh." He inclined his head in empathy.

"It's okay. She was ninety-one."

"Ninety-one?" He was genuinely surprised at that. "That's respectable. What was her secret?"

"Grape-nuts. And a guy named Duke." She smiled, shyly.

He grinned back at her, a little taken aback. "Uh….excuse me?"

"Yeah, she said the grape-nuts kept her arteries clean, Duke….helped with the rest." She gestured wildly and looked away, her face red from embarrassment.

Jackson couldn't help but smile at Lisa. He watched her closely, wondering what she was hiding besides her initial awkwardness. She was the first woman he'd met who had been shy about the topic of sex.

He laughed loudly along with Lisa. "Wow. A…dynamic woman."

O-O-O

Lisa looked up at him and saw his eyes bore into her own. Was he referring to her, or her grandmother? She suddenly found the need to talk about her grandma's life.

"Nothing fazed her, you know?" She saw she had captured his attention again. "She was so optimistic. 'Always look forward'. That's what she'd say."

Lisa looked up as soon as she'd heard herself say those words. She remembered when her grandmother had found out about the incident two years ago. She had caught the first flight to Miami and comforted her granddaughter, clucking about her like a mother hen. She had made up for her mother's absence, fetching her tea, talking to her, giggling like school girls as they watched the latest chick-flicks on DVD and admiring the handsome men. Before she had left two weeks later, she had taken Lisa's hands in her own and kissed her forehead, repeating to her the same thing she had said since she arrived; _always look forward._

Lisa decided at that very moment, that she would look forward. She wouldn't let the actions of a madman ruin her life. If she wanted to come out of this a better woman, she would need to show herself that she could move on and overcome the past.

_And maybe he can help me._

O-O-O

Jackson watched the barman place the glass down. He looked over to Lisa, carefully watching her accept the drink. He sat silently as she took a long sip of the drink and then made a face. He clenched his jaw as she brushed off the taste.

"That taste okay?" he asked, furrowing his brow.

"It's fine," she rasped out, a little too quickly.

"You sure?" She nodded. "Cause we can always get you that sea breeze…"

He trailed off, waiting for her to reply. He could tell she was a little more than irked at the fact that he was pressuring her about a drink. He couldn't understand the one thing about her. Why was she so adamant to ensure he was wrong? After all, it was only a drink. He found himself becoming angrier as she shook her head and tightly gripped her drink. He had to force himself to calm down and listen to her speak.

"You sound like my dad."

_Your dad? Jeez, Lisa, not exactly who I wanted to be compared to…_

"I say I'm fine, he says 'are you sure?'….I'm sure," she nodded at him, emphasising her point.

He bobbed his head. "Okay, I believe you."

"Good."

They both laughed again. Jackson found himself relaxing more than he ought to have, realising Lisa was doing the same. Perhaps if this wasn't planned, things could have worked between them and this conversation and casual flirting could have been genuine.

_Ah, Lisa, why'd you have to work at the Lux?_

O-O-O

"The name's Jackson, by the way," he offered, extending his hand.

"Lisa," she replied, gripping his own hand in her own.

In that brief moment, Lisa found herself holding back a shiver as his smooth hand held her own gently. He casually brushed his fingers along her wrist, causing Lisa to suppress a gasp of surprise.

"Pleased to meet you."

"Is it Jack, for short?" she asked quickly, hoping to cover her reaction.

"No," he stated bluntly, his eyes icy blue. Was he angry? "I haven't gone by Jack since I was ten years old." She looked at him, curious. "Last name's Rippner."

He nodded his head and waited for her to reply.

"Jack Rippner…." She tested it, hearing it for herself. "Jack…the….oh!"

Realisation hit her as the name began to roll of her lips. He must have thought she was so stupid not to realise that in the first place.

"There you go!" he nodded and smiled, charming the worry out of her.

_Lovely parents. _"That wasn't very nice of your parents."

"No, no. That's what I told 'em…." He looked away as if remembering, then nodded his head. "Before I killed 'em."

He looked serious; his tone friendly as if nothing he had said was out of the ordinary for him. Lisa looked taken aback and let the smile fall from her lips, before she realised he was joking and laughed along with him.

"Well, if it's any comfort, my middle name's Henrietta."

She looked at him as he drawled out the name. He shrugged as if to say, 'not so bad'.

"But that's my grandmother's name, though. Was…" She shook her head as if to shake off the alcohol from the bay breeze, which she accused of causing her to forget the reason she was in Texas.

_Actually, I blame you, Jackson,_ Lisa thought smiling. _But I guess I can forgive you._

O-O-O

Jackson let the next set of words fall from his lips, surprising Lisa, and even himself.

"Well, here's to Henrietta, whose spirit is very much alive."

He lifted his glass, watching Lisa's eyes soften at his gesture and then follow his own movement. Their glasses clinked together and they drank, Lisa taking a long sip of her bay breeze. Jackson could only watch in amusement as she placed the drink down and sighed, licking her lips.

Jackson continued their conversation, casually glancing up at the TV screen as the face of Charles Keefe took over. He hoped that the plane would board soon. He had no doubt he'd be able to pull the job off entirely at the Tex Mex, but he'd prefer it when they were thousands of feet up in the air and she had nowhere to run.

Over the PA system, an announcement was made that the plane to Miami was ready for boarding. There was a sudden uproar of noise as everybody around Jackson and Lisa began to applaud and cheer.

Lisa and Jackson glanced at each other, both of them seeming rather reluctant to leave their places at the bar. Jackson almost wished they were simply strangers to each other, and nothing more. Lisa smiled reluctantly and lightly clapped, whilst Jackson gestured widely with his arms and nodded in acceptance.

"I guess that's us," Lisa sighed.

Jackson noted she seemed rather disappointed, and held back the urge to give her his number. Instead, he looked around the crowd again and found his comrades, playing along with the charade and clapping.

"Wonders never cease." Jackson exhaled heavily, and then noticed her glance at her drink. Mentally slapping himself, he stood and reached for his wallet. "Uh, let me get this."

"Oh, no. No. Please," she assured, standing and looking for her own purse.

"I got it. I got it." He pressed, holding his hand up and flashing a charming smile at her.

O-O-O

_Caring, forthright, understanding, knows my favourite drink, a total gentleman, good looking and gorgeous eyes…this list could go on,_ Lisa thought, smiling shyly at him.

"Thanks."

"Welcome." Jackson smiled nervously. "Well….so….uh…"

Neither knew what to say. Lisa smiled at Jackson who looked away quickly, grinning. Their awkward silence was suddenly cut short, much to Lisa's relief.

O-O-O

Jackson couldn't believe his luck. He almost swore aloud. He had ordered not to be disturbed until he called _them_. Rolling his eyes heavenward, he reached into his pocket.

"Can you hang on? I'm sorry," he apologised. Lisa nodded and waited for him to answer. "Hello? Yeah." He glanced at Lisa and then rolled his eyes once more, receiving a small giggle from her. "Can you just hold on?"

Lisa looked up at him. "Um, I gotta take this." Her mouth opened as if to say something, her face dropping as he spoke. "I'm sorry."

"That's okay," Lisa replied, inclining her head.

"It was so nice to meet you," Jackson said, his phone clenched tightly in his palm.

"Nice to meet you."

"You have a good flight," Jackson offered, not knowing what else to say.

"You too."

Saying their last goodbyes, Jackson flashed a heart-melting smile once more, before strolling away, his phone attached to his ear in no time.

"Hey, yeah. Looks like we're gettin' outta here. The storm's moved on. No, there's time…"

O-O-O

Lisa watched him go, willing him to turn around and smile at her once more. Their small meeting had to have meant something, especially on the day of the funeral. He had surprisingly lifted her spirits considerably, something that not even her dad could have accomplished without a hefty bribe of cookie dough ice cream. He had even, without any knowledge, given her that small push to move on with her life. She recalled something her grandmother had told her during her visit two years ago.

_"No matter who you meet in your life, remember that the tiniest, insignificant detail about them can make a bigger impact in your life than you could_ ever_ imagine."_

Lisa sighed, leaning over to pick up her things. This man had made the biggest impact in her life since her grandmother, and for all she know, he could be married.

_Way to go, Lisa. You really know how to pick 'em._

She turned and made her way into the gate.

O-O-O

"Sit tight outside the house until I give orders. Don't go inside, don't call, just keep yourself hidden. Nobody can know you're there, and yes I know what Loren told me, which is why _you_ need to keep yourself on the low. You know we can't bring Joe into this. He's already being bugged, so keep it quiet." Jackson stood in line, keeping his voice low and thanking any deity about the screaming baby in front of him. "He's working on it. I gotta go, Dane. Yeah. Uh-huh."

With that, he terminated the connection and presented his ticket, flashing a devilish grin at a young woman patiently waiting as a relative boarded the plane. She spotted him and smiled, a tell-tale blush gracing her features.

_Still got it, Rippner._

O-O-O

**Author's Note:** There's a little button just below this message....click it and it'll take you to a magical land!


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Red Eye, or anyone/thing associated with it.

**Author's Note: **Thank you to the three people who reviewed! I really did appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy this next chapter as much as you did the first! Can anybody guess who Jackson was talking about in the previous chapter, when he mentioned "two of his own"? Cyber-chocolates for anybody who guesses!

Finally, a super hug to my beta BregoBeauty who, even despite being immensely busy, took the time to help me!

Now read on, and review!

Chapter Two

Lisa took a deep breath and, holding her head high, began to walk toward the gate. She was going to board that plane. There would be no sprinting as far away from the plane as possible.

_This plane will not be hijacked,_ Lisa began her mantra. _It's a red eye flight from Texas to Miami. What self-respecting terrorist would hijack a plane from Texas to Miami? But then they wouldn't be hijacking a plane if they _were_ self-respecting… _

"Hello!" greeted the cheery flight attendant. "18G. Right down that aisle to your left. Thank you for your patience."

Lisa thanked the younger woman and turned to make her way down the directed route. She felt sympathetic toward the attendants for having to plaster a smile on their faces all day, regardless of how they were treated by passengers. She endured the same thing at her hotel.

Walking between the aisles, Lisa couldn't help but scan the seats for the familiar face of Jackson. If luck was on her side, she wouldn't have to sit next to any of these neighbours from hell. Passing through into another area, Lisa bit back a groan as she surveyed the chaotic scene around her. She _prayed_ she wasn't going to have to sit next to _anybody_ at this point.

_I am never taking the red eye again,_ Lisa vowed, relieved as the empty seats she passed weren't hers.

Tired and ready to snuggle into a cheap, airline-provided pillow, Lisa found her seat but failed to notice the passenger allocated beside her. Simultaneously, the pair glanced at each other and blinked in genuine surprise.

"Oh! Hi….again."

"I figured you'd be in first class," Jackson said, gesturing toward the front of the plane.

Lisa looked down at her ticket. "Oh no, no. Not me. I'm all coach, all the time."

"Me too." He smiled at her, as if to say 'we have something in common'.

Flustered by his intense stare, she could only gasp out a giddy agreement, before she nodded her head toward the vacant seat next to him.

"I think…that's my seat?" she questioned, staring at the spot accusingly. Her heart was thumping.

Jackson gaped and looked to the seat then back up at her, his brows furrowed in disbelief. "What…you're not…sitting here?"

"Well, I don't know." She held her ticket in front of him. "That says…18G?"

"You're kidding," he stated, looking at her ticket. "You're _not_ kidding." He grinned at her, seeming almost ecstatic at having a familiar face to talk to. "Oh uh, you need a bellhop?"

He was already out of his seat, eager to assist her.

"Uh, no, no, no. That's okay!" she insisted, attempting to take the luggage away.

"Let me help. I insist."

"Okay," she agreed, smiling at the courteous behaviour.

Backing herself into the seating area to move out of the way, Lisa didn't notice the low overhead carrier and found her head striking against the corner of it with a dull thud. Crying out, Lisa grasped the back of her head and paused, screwing her eyes shut as a wave of dizziness overwhelmed her.

O-O-O

"You okay?" Jackson asked, reaching over to grasp her arm and steady her.

"Yeah."

"You sure?"

"Yeah. I'm not normally such a lightweight," she defended, taking a seat before she collapsed into it. "Those were strong bay breezes."

"Well, I'm cutting you off anyways, all right?" Jackson joked, hefting the heavy roller into the compartment.

The tall, snobbish, red-headed senior flight attendant stalked past and rolled her eyes as she witnessed their casual flirting. Jackson snapped the compartment shut and icily watched her walk away, throwing fake smiles here and there around the cabin. He hoped she wasn't going to be a problem tonight.

Taking a deep breath to quell his anger, he sat back down and smiled at Lisa.

"So…what are the odds, huh?" he laughed, clipping his seatbelt into place.

"Yeah, I know."

His smile suddenly faded and, turning to face her, he looked her dead in the eye, serious weariness etched across his features. "Wait a minute." She looked at him. "You're not…stalking me, are you?"

Her own smile faded and was replaced with unease and a hint of fear. She shook her head and answered no.

_That was easy…and fun._

He stared at her a moment longer before allowing a small grin to form. She exhaled relief and they both began to laugh at his joke. Jackson noticed her slip into a state of relaxation as she familiarised herself with him once again.

_Score._

O-O-O

"You got me," she laughed.

_Am I flirting with him?_

"I'm sorry!"

Overwhelmed by their laughter and slight scare from his joke, her head painfully throbbed and a dull ache lingered for a couple of seconds. Lisa rubbed her head and sighed.

"Oh, jeez."

"You alright?" Jackson asked again.

Slightly annoyed, she dropped her hand and turned to him. "If I say 'yes', are you gonna ask me if I'm sure?"

Jackson looked taken aback and then smiled. "No, no. That's your…dad's department."

Lisa giggled and felt her heart speed up. She had never met anybody who had listened and understood her so quickly. She barely knew him, and yet here he was, chatting amicably to her as if they had known each other for years. He was hanging onto, and taking in, every word she said. She liked a man who listened…_really _listened.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I…earlier today I had some cheap wine at the funeral, and uh…combined with the cheap vodka…"

She trailed off and glanced at Jackson, watching as he pouted and nodded, catching onto what she was insinuating.

"I see."

"I blame you for that part."

He shook his head. "Well…I feel terrible now."

"You should," Lisa said, as serious as he had been.

"Oh, I do."

O-O-O

_I don't. You're so much more fun than I thought you'd be, Leese. Especially tipsy_.

As they began to lapse into silence, listening to the stewardess over the PA, the sound of grunting and thumping caught Jackson's attention. Looking up, he saw a woman who looked to be in her mid-forties, failing to shove her oversized luggage into the overhead compartment. Her hair was unmistakably bleached, with a sharp contrast of fake tan and she had donned copious amounts of jewellery and make up. Jackson's eyes narrowed as he watched her. He felt a small niggling thought as he stared, knowing that he had seen her somewhere before, but unable to pinpoint exactly whom she was.

He felt Lisa glance at him, and the pair attempted to quell their grins as the lady looked at Jackson with huge eyes, and a large smile.

"I think somebody needs a bellhop," Lisa stated, smiling at the lady.

"Excuse me?" the woman pleaded.

Jackson sighed and unbuckled his seatbelt, his smile too broad to be genuine. He couldn't help but realise how Lisa had leaned toward him as he stood.

"Let me," he insisted, grasping her luggage.

He began to push her suitcase into the compartment, all the while feeling Lisa's eyes burn into his back. Grinning, he gave the suitcase one last shove before it slipped into the slot.

"Thank you so much," the lady breathed, staring at him as if she wanted to devour him.

"You're welcome," Jackson replied, having composed himself.

"Just when I thought there weren't any gentlemen left," she purred, leaning closer to him.

Jackson glanced back at Lisa and smirked, making Lisa purse her lips in an attempt to not burst out laughing.

O-O-O

Lisa sighed as she studied Jackson. He was unlike any other man she had met before. He was flirting with her, but not to the extent where he was blatant enough to have his intentions written across his face. There was no cheeky grin, no flashing of his cash, no clichéd pick-up lines. She was falling for the natural charm he seemed to possess. Before he could engage in a decent conversation with a woman, he wanted her to feel relaxed enough around him, something which she admired him for considering the past couple of years. He was strikingly handsome and aware of it, but didn't use this as an excuse for arrogance. His tall stature meant he was at least a head taller than her, and his physique was athletic. Lisa had no doubt he could command anybody to do anything for him, with the right words here and a controlled smile there.

_Easy, Lisa, you barely know him. You can't fall for him, even if his eyes are_-

Jackson dropped into his seat. "Oh, my," he sighed, straightening his shirt out and smiling as Lisa began to giggle again.

_I have to stop giggling._

O-O-O

Jackson continued to smile as he watched the old lady from the check-in line toddle over to pass their seats. His eyes were cold, however, as she waved a book around and smiled at Lisa.

"I'm already in chapter two!" she beamed, nodding her thanks at Lisa.

"Oh, great," Lisa smiled, inclining her head.

Jackson let the old lady totter past and then turned to Lisa with a confused smiled. Rubbing his forehead, he furrowed his brows.

"Um…" he trailed off, puzzled.

"Oh, I gave her this book earlier," Lisa explained, brushing aside the distraction. "She's a _huge_ Doctor Phil fan."

Jackson nodded his head. "Oh, I saw that. Very nice of you."

Lisa sighed and looked tired, but managed to hide it quickly by turning back to a magazine courtesy of the airline.

"Well, that's me. People-pleaser twenty-four-seven."

Jackson glanced down at the magazine and then back up to her face again. He understood fully that she was a '_people-pleaser'_. Her reaction to her own comment, however, was something that he didn't expect. He had assumed that she would love her job and the privileges that entailed it. She had always been a social loner as far as he knew, but something in her had changed. Either that or his observations had been entirely off mark.

_Unlikely._

Suddenly, Jackson's cell phone began to ring again. Sighing in annoyance, he reached into his pocket.

"Well, _you_ are popular," Lisa said, smiling.

"I'm sorry," Jackson replied, glancing at her with an intense look.

"No, it's okay."

"It isn't usually like this," he stated truthfully.

He looked at the name flashing on the screen and furrowed his brow. He didn't want to make the fact that he knew who was calling too blatant. Lisa glanced away in an attempt to give him as much privacy as possible in the confined space.

_Christ, Leese, it's just a call. People-pleaser, for sure._

"Hey. What's up?" Jackson greeted shortly.

"You on the plane yet?" The voice on the other end paused. "Have I got you at a bad time?"

"Yeah. No, it's okay," Jackson answered, rubbing his lips.

"Everything's in place."

"So, it's definitely happening? Uh-huh."

"Time's five-thirty."

"Five-thirty? Okay, done deal."

"Got it."

Jackson inhaled, his heart thumping from excitement. There'd be no going back now. Unless she, within the next fifteen seconds, ran off the plane in hysterics from her fear of flying, the rest of the plan would roll out smoothly with no hiccups. He slid the phone shut with a click.

"Work," he explained, slipping his phone into its holster. "For the _last time_."

_Until we land or you fuck this up, Leese. Let's hope it's the former._

Lisa nodded and hummed in agreement as he sounded particularly annoyed at having their conversation interrupted. He ran both his hands through his hair, smoothing out the mess. He straightened up in the chair.

_And now, Leese, it's purely business._

O-O-O

**Author's Note**: Please review! That green button there....Look down....


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **I swear that I don't own Red Eye, or Jackson, or Lisa! I swear!

**Author's Note:** A huge thank you to my reviewers! I endeavour to reply to each and every one personally. If I miss you, it's by pure accident, but I will get to you!

Finally, another round of applause for my beta BregoBeauty for the outstanding help and patience with me! Cyber-cookies and milk to you!

Chapter Three

Lisa sighed as the pair lapsed into a silence after the phone call. She could immediately sense a change of character around Jackson after the call. The sign for securing seatbelts pinged to life, shoving any other thought of Jackson to the deepest depth of her mind.

The senior flight attendant began to drawl out a welcome message and the usual rehearsed flight regulations. Lisa reached into her bag and shut off her phone; well aware of Jackson's eyes following her every move. She tried, in vain, to control her shaking hands and quickly clasped her hands in her lap, her nails biting deep into her skin.

_Nothing's going to happen. You'll be fine._

O-O-O

As soon as the plane began to turn on the runway, Jackson flipped up his sleeve to reveal an expensive watch on which he began to turn a dial.

_Your time is almost up, Leese._

He turned his head and looked out of the window with a smile on his face. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lisa press her lips together and gasp as the plane stumbled across the runway. He was finding it exceedingly hard not to laugh at her; they were _still_ on the runway, after all. He saw Lisa look out of the window and quickly pull her head back as the plane began to gain speed.

Two brothers toward the back of the plane began to banter, appearing to agitate Lisa even more.

"We're not gonna make it!"

"Shut up."

The younger brother laughed. "I'm telling you man, we're not gonna make it!"

"Shut up. I will punch you in your fat face. Just _shut up_!"

"Just kidding. Come on."

After a rather large and rough bump, the plane was in the air. Lisa exhaled and gripped her fingers around the shared armrest. Jackson could only smile every time the plane bounced around trying to find some clean air.

"Are we there yet?" Lisa questioned quietly in a strained voice, attempting to humour herself.

Jackson grinned and looked at her. He knew that whatever he said next had to lead up to what he wanted from her. All his previous _associates_ had provided him with the best opening and sweet Lisa was no exception.

Leaning closer, he asked, "So, uh, was Henrietta your mom's mom, or your dad's mom?"

He carefully regarded Lisa as she took her time to answer his question. Her fear was obviously bigger than he had previously assumed.

"Um…my mom's. My dad's –" The plane swayed violently causing Lisa to grip the armrests tighter and clench her entire body in fear. Jackson's smile grew wider at her discomfort. "My dad's died a long time ago."

Jackson nodded, not caring in the least about her dead grandparents. Except perhaps for dear, old Henrietta who, _God rest her soul,_ was the reason they were on this domestic flight bound for Miami.

"Are your folks still together?"

"Um…" Lisa stopped, almost as if she was absorbing the question. Shaking her head, she licked her lips and replied, "They divorced three years ago, uh, married for thirty two."

"Oh. That's a shame. So…so your mom…"

"Mom moved back to Texas and Dad stayed in Miami."

"I see. And does Dad still work?"

_Retired, right?_

"Yeah. No! He's recently retired." Lisa composed herself again. "He's got a lot of time on his hands, so he makes a lot of phone calls."

Jackson laughed and said, "Okay, so he's filling all his work time with –"

"Worry time," Lisa cut in, smiling.

"Does he have reason to worry about you?"

_I'd definitely say so, Leese._

O-O-O

Lisa looked at him, taken aback.

"Well, even if he does, I mean, he's just gotta get used to the fact that life changes and…sometimes things happen," she replied, turning to look out of the window.

"I know what you mean," Jackson agreed. "Usually, when things are going perfectly, you're back on track, everything's going to plan, and then one day, outta nowhere…" he paused and regarded Lisa intensely, a small smirk gracing his lips as she looked at him expectantly. "Somebody forgets to bolt the engine to the wing."

Lisa stared, eyes wide as he only managed to intensify her fear. Quickly composing herself, she smiled and nodded, agreeing with his statement.

Over the PA system, the pilot's voice drifted through as he assured the passengers they were safe. Lisa sighed and relaxed, her shoulders dropping after the intense situation. She turned to Jackson and smiled wearily at him, thankful for distracting her.

_Nobody's ever done that for me._

O-O-O

Jackson's smile was predatory as he surveyed Lisa. Her fear was so obviously written across her face.

_This is going to be a breeze…so to speak._

"Thanks for distracting me," she muttered, smiling.

Jackson grinned. "Well, it's not really what I'm doing."

"What're you doing?" Lisa asked, curious.

"Just…keeping the focus on you and your father," he answered, staring her dead in the eyes.

Lisa's smile dropped a little. "Why?"

Jackson shrugged, his hands gesturing. "Part of my job."

He watched her eyes narrow in confusion, before a small smile split across her face. He had to hold back a smile as the game of guessing began once again. He always enjoyed this part, particularly their expression when he revealed the truth.

"Are you a shrink?"

He shook his head, negative. "No. Manager."

"Better not say of a hotel," she warned, smiling.

"No."

"Cause that would've –"

"Given you cause to buy _another_ self-help book," he interrupted, laughing.

_That's it, Leese. You should start feeling a little more uncomfortable now. How could I _possibly_ know about your collection of books?_

She hummed, and then paused before looking away. He could practically see the wheels in her head working as she absorbed his words. Her insecurity was blatant, and he could sense her state of relaxation was slipping away to be replaced with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"So, what _do_ you do?" she demanded.

"Government overthrows. Flashy, high-profile assassinations. The usual," he answered nonchalantly.

He continued watching her, waiting for her reaction. She would either laugh and shrug it off, or ask him to repeat himself as she attempted to distance herself from him. After all, every other person he'd _worked_ with had done one of the two.

"You're a spy," she whispered, nodding her head as if finally catching on. "I should've known."

He shook his head, smirking as he said, "No, I'm not a spy."

He bit his lip and looked to her once again, waiting for her to continue guessing. He _had_ already told her, after all, so until the moment presented itself where he'd reveal what we wanted, he'd play along. Besides, they had time.

"A hit man?" she fired, glancing at him slyly.

"I'm a lousy shot," he answered.

"Right." She nodded. "You work for the CIA."

"Well, if I did, I couldn't say, could I?" he retorted as if speaking to a child, his eyes glued to her own. "But, no."

"The Mafia?"

"The money's shit," he stated as a matter-of-factly.

_Yeah, it's all for the 'Family'. All for one and one for all._

"Okay, well…That's kind of weird. Why don't you just tell me what you do?"

"I already did," he answered, serious and unsmiling.

"Okay…okay, I'm sorry…I…It's…whatever you do, that's your own business." He had pulled them into the 'awkward' phase. "Just as long as you're not…uh…"

He nodded his head, encouraging her. "What?"

"Hijacking the plane?" she whispered, looking around to make sure nobody heard.

He grinned and shook his head, wanting to laugh. "Oh…No. No, I'm not suicidal."

"That's good." She nodded and looked back to her magazine, signalling the end of the conversation.

Jackson, however, was still in the mood for a little fun.

"And you're right, you know? Most days it _is_ my own business." He stroked his lower lip with his thumb as he studied her hands upon the magazine, before looking up at her face again. "But right now, as _fate_ would have it, my business is all about _you_."

Jackson nodded at her as she looked at him, her eyes questioning and her mouth open in surprise.

"I'm sorry…About _me?_" she pushed, narrowing her eyes.

"That's right."

He said no more, leaving her mind to its own devices. He wanted her to make whatever she wanted of this situation, but for him, it was business. His icy blue eyes bore into her own, forcing her to look away from the intensity of his stare. He glanced into his reflection in the window and managed to suppress the urge to grin at the creepiness of his features.

_Jackson, you're so right for this job. Such fear you instil into these people._

"Okay, I'm not sure where you're going with this," she demanded, sitting up straight in a vain attempt to gain some semblance of control.

"Charles Keefe. One of your regular VIP's. Ring a bell?"

O-O-O

Lisa stopped. Her heart was pounding, a lump forming in her throat. There was _no_ way he could have known about this recent booking. It was made under a secret alias and ensured to be untraceable back to Keefe.

"No, should it?" she said, swallowing.

"Yes, it should." He answered her question as if it was what he wanted to hear from her lips. "Because right now, he's on his way to your hotel and that's why you need to keep listening."

Lisa raised her voice, shaking her head. "No. No, I don't think…I don't have to do that."

She looked around the cabin, hoping somebody would catch her eye and save her from this stranger. The idea of sitting next to a lusty, over-sized man seemed a better option than an assassin with eyes that could both kill _and_ turn a woman into a puddle of mush.

"Yes, you do, if you want your dad to live."

For all intents and purposes, he was smiling conversationally at her; for Lisa, it was a smirk filled with arrogance, power and a deadly threat.

"What did you say?"

_Somebody, please listen!_

"You heard me," he drawled out, frostily.

"Yeah." Shifting uncomfortable, Lisa grasped her armrest and pressed the 'call' button.

"Suit yourself." Jackson sighed, reached into his pocket, pulled out the small table, and slammed an item onto it. "But you might wanna take a look at this first."

Lisa gasped in horror and tensed up as Jackson laid her father's wallet before her. She had bought it for his birthday last year. He had complained about losing it when he was on the phone earlier, and yet here it was, in front of her.

"JR. Joe Reisert. Your father. Yes?"

Lisa bit back a lump of bile. "Where did you get that?"

"Oh, _I_ didn't get it. Uh, my associate grabbed it off your dad's desk." He paused and scrunched up his face in mock forgetfulness. "Apparently next to your…graduation picture." Lisa felt tears begin to form and was having extreme difficulty not to scream. "JR. Definitely dad's wallet. His initials." Lisa choked and jumped from her seat, her eyes searching for the attendant. "But gee, mine too. Jack Rippner. Credit card, license."

Lisa stared down at him through blurred vision. This bastard had it all planned. His next words shook her to the core.

"'But for some reason, stewardess, this emotionally unstable, _rather inebriated _girl, whom I've _never_ met before tonight, suddenly went crazy when I took it out of my pocket.'"

He said it as if he had rehearsed this for a theatre production. Lisa glanced up and saw the stewardess motion for her to wait. Lisa gazed at Jackson, hypnotised as his eyes bore into her own.

"You tell the flight attendant, and your dad dies."

Looking back up helplessly, the attendant merely thrust her hand downward in an irritated motion to sit down and wait. Jackson's hand found its way onto her knee, his grip tight, unyielding and out of sight.

"Sit down," he ordered, coldly.

Her chin began to tremble from fear. He had her backed into a corner, literally. She had nowhere to run, and even if she did, she'd be putting her father's life in danger. He was all she had left at home, and she didn't want to lose him.

Shaking, she slid into her seat as Jackson's hand began to move upwards. She dropped and leaned closer to the window, still gripping her dad's wallet.

"You might wanna buckle up," Jackson advised, nodding at her belt.

Lisa sighed and looked away. When she didn't move, Jackson reached over and grasped the two ends of the belt, clipping and tightening them securely into place. It was almost a loving sign, had he not been a cold-blooded assassination manager with her dad's life hanging on the edge. He looked up at her, his face inches away from her own. Smirking, he leaned closer to her, his eyes dropping to watch her lips part in surprise and fear.

"I'll take that back, thank you."

Lisa failed to react as he plucked the wallet from her loosened grasp and tuck it neatly into his pocket once again. She could barely hide her anger at his smug satisfaction as he leaned back into his seat and smirked arrogantly.

O-O-O

**Author's Note:** Jackson told me to tell you to leave a review.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Jackson, Lisa and all other characters from Red Eye belong not to me, but to Wes Craven. I'm just playing with them.

**Author's Note**: Many hugs for my reviewers! I really do appreciate each and every one of them, and I reply to all! Just a quick note that chapter four is the last chapter which is polished to boot and ready to post. I will definitely try and update for you as soon as possible!

Finally, an enormous round of applause for my beta BregoBeauty, who stuck by me despite busy schedules and writer's block. I owe you!

Chapter Four

Jackson couldn't help but smile proudly. He glanced at Lisa, winking and puckering his lips in a mock kiss when they made eye contact. She sobbed and looked away, pressing her forehead against the window pane. Jackson said nothing for the next couple of minutes, patiently waiting for the flight attendant to come and go, before they got down to business.

"How did you know about my grandmother?" Lisa asked, startling Jackson.

He smiled, lifting his hand and gripping her chin to make her face him. "Leese, all that matters is that we're here now. Call it fate, a coincidence, all part of a _master plan_. The fact is that this is happening. This is real. You can't change that, so I suggest you stop trying to think of ways to get out of this." Lisa's eyes flashed in anger. "Now, the flight attendant's on her way. I need you to be a good girl and play along with my game."

He leaned closer, backing Lisa further into her seat, and brushed his lips across her cheek, earning a gasp of outrage and a surprisingly brutal shove from the petite woman. He winked at her again, before straightening himself out just as the attendant arrived.

"Hi," she greeted, pressing a switch above their seats.

"Hi," Jackson replied, smiling.

"What can I do for you?" She smiled at Jackson then turned her attention to Lisa, her brows creasing in genuine worry as she spotted the teary-eyed, dishevelled woman.

O-O-O

"Leese, did you need another pillow, or something?" Jackson asked, his face a mask of concern.

Lisa sobbed, tearing her eyes away from Jackson's face. Regardless of his theatrical acting skill, Lisa could see the threat of this dangerous man laid carefully beneath his cool exterior.

_Yes, I need to get the hell away from you!_

"No, I don't need anything," Lisa lied, avoiding eye contact with the stewardess.

One wrong look and Jackson would surely do something horrific to her father. She had no doubt he was serious.

"She's just had a really rough day. A death in the family," Jackson added.

Lisa pressed her lips together and choked back a loud sob. He wasn't lying _per se_, but both of them knew his words were laced with a hidden meaning. This man was better at thinking on his feet than she was. Were he a normal manager for a normal company, Lisa undoubtedly knew that he would be a huge success.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," the stewardess said.

"Yeah," Jackson whispered, looking downcast and upset.

The flight attendant quickly recovered, slipping into her professional accent. "Um, I'll get you water and some tissues."

"Thanks," Jackson said, on behalf of Lisa.

"Be right back."

"Thank you."

She had to play the role of distraught relative, whilst he played the calm, composed..._friend? Lover? Husband? _

"That was great, Leese. Keep doing the right thing, huh? Just…bottle the emotions a little more, okay?"

He spoke to her as if he was talking to a child. The only difference was that if she did something to displease him, he could, and would, do far worse than simple slap on her wrist.

Lisa almost cried out, but managed to stop herself from drawing any more attention to them. Her hands were placed firmly over her mouth, discouraging her from screaming for help out of pure instinct. She swiped at her tears and snapped her head around to face Jackson.

"Have you done something to my father?" she demanded.

"No," he retorted. "And it'll stay that way as long as you keep playing along."

Lisa sighed, turning away from him. He was the same man who had spoken such hopeful words to her at the Tex-Mex, yet he was altogether different. It was his eyes. They had no emotion. They were cold, calculating, _and dangerous._

She licked her lips and said, "What do you want from me?"

"Right now, I wanna wait for your Kleenex and water," he whispered. "And once we have our privacy…we can get back to _business._"

The stewardess returned, handing Jackson the water and tissues. "Here you go."

"Oh, thank you so much," Jackson replied, flashing a charming smile.

"Sure," she replied, her focus not entirely on Jackson. "Feel better, hon."

Lisa thanked her, noticing Jackson roll his eyes. When the attendant walked away, Jackson sighed and lazily held up the small water bottle before Lisa, waiting for her to take it from him. She looked at him, her jaw clenched and her head tilted, as if to say 'yeah, right'. He shrugged and instead took a small sip from the bottle himself. He was serene and careful. His hands didn't shake, nor did he spill any water in the _excitement._ Lisa found herself envying the control he had in this situation.

_I will take the control from you, Jack. Whether you give it to me willingly….or not._

O-O-O

Jackson sighed and stored the water bottle away. He turned to Lisa, ignoring her attempts to find an escape route. She had nowhere to go or nobody to run to.

"I need you to call your hotel." He paused, waiting for some form of a reaction. "It's very simple. Just use your managerial pull to move Keefe from thirty-eight twenty-five to suite four zero eight zero."

_And there is the reaction. You don't disappoint, Leese._

Lisa gaped at him; tear trails fresh along her cheeks, as she attempted to speak. Finally, she managed to compose the sentence that he had seen formulating in her head.

"You've got the wrong person," she replied, shaking her head vehemently. "I don't have the authority to do that."

"Well, I happen to know that you do. And I happen to know that you're the only voice that can get this done by the time I need it done."

His response to her denial was harsh. She, like the others, was afraid and though she wouldn't admit it, curious. Her slight shift toward the window seemed to confirm his thoughts of how desperately terrified she was at the fact that he knew so much about her.

Instead of dwelling, however, he needed to get this job out of the way. He reached over Lisa to detach the airline phone off the hook. He held it, hovering in front of her waiting for her to take it and make the call. She did nothing.

"You need me to write it down?" he asked slowly, as if speaking to an upset child.

"No," she sighed, turning her head away from him.

He paused, confused and becoming irritated by the passing minutes. "Well...then what's the delay?"

"So, by changing Keefe's room, does that make it easier?" she questioned, glancing at him.

Jackson sighed, and slammed the phone back to its holder. He was close to losing his temper. She was too much of a thinker, and it aggravated him to no end. Why did she have to make this whole damn job so difficult? After all, it was a simple call regarding a man she had no personal connection to.

"Lisa," he whispered, leaning over her. "Whatever female-driven, emotion-based dilemma you're dealing with right now, you have my sympathy." She rolled her eyes upward, clearly not believing him. "But for the sake of time, and sanity, let's break this down into a little _male_-driven, _fact_-based logic. One. Simple. Phone call. Saves. Your. Dad's. Life." He paused for dramatic effect. "And it has to be made _now."_

O-O-O

It took all her strength not to simply strike him squarely across his face for the typical narcissistic chauvinism, but something in his words stopped her.

Perhaps it was a good thing he had talked about facts and logic. All the facts he had given to her, maybe by accident, all added to one thing.

"You're gonna kill Keefe, aren't you?"

Lisa stared him dead in the eyes. One thing she was sure about was that looking into someone's eyes could reveal the entire truth about them. He looked away and let out a small laugh.

"You know, you really need to start worrying more about your dad, Leese."

Tears dry and face set; she knew what she had to do.

"How am I supposed to know he's okay? How do I know you haven't already done something?" she whispered accusingly.

"He's fine."

"Why am I supposed to believe that?" she snapped back at him, leaning close to him.

"Well," he sighed, thinking. "The last call I got said he was sitting in the TV room, eating leftover lasagne and watching the comedy marathon."

Lisa flinched and failed to hold back another set of fresh tears. Her father had relayed to her, not even two hours ago, what he planned to do that evening, and here was Jackson repeating it to her. This wasn't right.

"Relax, Leese," Jackson continued, ignoring her little outburst of weeping. "By now my guy is probably back in his silver Beemer, parked outside...ninety-three twenty-one Blossom Palms Lane?" His emphasis on her father's address only made her sob harder. "He's sitting in the dark, listening to a little smooth jazz while he sharpens his twelve-inch KA-BAR. That's a knife, Leese."

Lisa exhaled, fear rocking her to the core as Jackson spoke. If Jackson could be this dangerous and threatening _without _any weapons, she feared what his associate who had a _knife_ could do, especially if he was anything like Jackson. Then panic flooded Lisa.

_What if he's already...?_

"I wanna talk to my dad."

"Sure." His eyes were gleaming. "After you make the call."

"No," Lisa spat. "I wanna know he's okay _now,_ or I don't call_ anybody."_

Lisa could tell his anger was building with each word that came out of her mouth, but she frankly couldn't care less. Her father was in danger. But even though Lisa had the sense that Jackson wasn't lying to her, he didn't need to know that, and there was an added bonus of being able to stall that important phone call to work.

His lips pressed tightly together, Lisa knew he had nothing to do but oblige to her demand.

"Your dime," he retorted, satisfied that he could at least make her pay for the call. "Credit card?"

With trembling hands, she reached for her handbag and began to make work of fumbling around for her credit card. She clenched her teeth to prevent herself from screaming in frustration as the bag was wrenched from her lap. Jackson fished around for a second before pulling out a card, ignoring the PA system announcement that passengers are able to freely move about the cabin.

As soon as he scanned the card into the system, she took the phone from him and began to dial the numbers as slowly as possible, all the while glancing at Jackson. She had no idea how we would react to anything she did.

"Dad?" she called as soon as she heard an answer.

"Leese, you already home?" her father asked, sounding confused.

"No, I'm on the air phone on the plane. We were late taking off and –"

"Honey," he interrupted. "I know you don't like it when I ask, but are you all right? You sound upset."

_No, daddy! Please help!_

Lisa jumped when Jackson casually snatched the phone from her hands and hung up. She hated him, but was grateful too. He hadn't lied about her father.

"Did he sound healthy to you?" Jackson asked, mocking her. She said nothing. "I hope that's a yes, because that's the best I can do."

Lisa sighed, sitting up straight. She was aware of what was going to come next as he swiped her card once more.

_Great, not only will I have this to worry about, but also a lovely credit card bill._

He grinned at her. "Now, let's get this over with."

O-O-O

**Author's Note: **- Can I take your order? - Yes, I'll have a couple of reviews, please, thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: **My lawyer says I'm not allowed to say I own them. Wes Craven has a restraining order against me...

**Author****'****s Note**: First, I'd like to apologise for the MASSIVE delay with my updates! Things got extremely hectic with things at home and work, but as a sorry, I'm giving two chapters instead of one, and I absolutely do promise to update more often from now on! I'm not working anymore (as much as that pains me...) which means I have a lot of time to focus on writing! I hope you all enjoy the chapters and forgive an ol' writer for her misdemeanours...

Second, I would like to thank all reviewers and everybody that added the story as a favourite! I hope I can keep up the work, and I would be absolutely nothing without all the comments you all give. Big THANK YOU!

Now, instead of babbling on, here's the next chapter!

Chapter Five

"Excuse me." A near-plastic face swooped down and hovered in front of Jackson's, who paused in horror.

"I'm sorry." The lady with bleach-blonde hair glanced over at Lisa to smile apologetically before turning her attention back to Jackson. "Can you help me again? Last time, I promise."

Jackson had to stop himself from hurling the woman across the plane in annoyance. Instead, he settled for a sickeningly sweet smile and agreed to help her. Sliding the phone back onto the receiver, he looked over at Lisa and immediately recognised the look on her face: _she was planning something. _

"Don't get cute," he sneered, shooting her a warning look as he stood.

Lisa stared at Jackson, her face a mask of innocence. He stood, all the while watching her, and bent to retrieve her handbag. Snapping the overhead compartment shut, he looked at her with a small smirk on his lips before heading down the aisle with the annoying lady.

_This is ridiculous!_

Jackson couldn't help but fume as he hurriedly tugged open the compartment. Nothing was going like he'd hoped. By now, she should have been quivering in fear next to him, more than prepared to do whatever he asked of her. But instead, he was _helping_ someone with their fucking luggage.

"You're so sweet," purred the woman beside him.

Jackson simply smiled and turned to look at Lisa, only to find the old lady huddled over having a conversation with her. His mouth opened in anger, fully prepared to throw the damned suitcase into the luggage-lady's face. From his position, he could no nothing but shoot a warning glance at Lisa as he was tugged back to help again. He couldn't believe they were talking to each other _again._ He hoped his next target was the _oh so helpful_ Doctor Phil.

"Uh, could you wait one second?"

Jackson cringed just as he turned his back on the vile woman. Sucking his teeth in anger, he stepped back and whipped his head around to stare at her. She flashed him her nails and waggled them, slapping on a sickeningly hungry smile as she leaned in closer to him as he grabbed her luggage once again.

"Got it!" she cried, shaking her blue 'face case'. "You're a life-saver!"

"Yep," retorted Jackson, hastily zipping up the suitcase.

Behind him, he could hear the old lady babbling on about Doctor Phil and surveys and...

_Lisa, you__'__re good, but not that good._

He spared a glance at Lisa to find her arm moving in swift motions. As soon as she noticed him watching, she looked up to the lady and began to nod as if in conversation.

_No more games, Leese._

After practically throwing the suitcase into the compartment, Jackson leaned in to the face of Blondie and stared her straight in the eyes. She recoiled slightly and began to search for anybody to help her with this sudden change of behaviour.

"Last time," Jackson hissed threateningly before turning and sauntering cockily back to his seat.

He came face-to-face with the old lady, who continued to apologise for being in his way. Moving past her, he dropped down onto his seat and took a deep breath, patiently waiting for the stewardesses to pass. Like the good old actor he was, he smiled dutifully at a remark from the old lady. Once she passed, he stared at the back of the seat in front of him, a small smirk still gracing his lips.

"I didn't want this to get complicated, Lisa," he said slowly, panning his head around the cabin. "I have to assume she's going to read that."

He could feel Lisa fidget and shuffle beside him. Did she think he was stupid? Of course he kept an eye on her.

"Read what?" she asked innocently.

Jackson leisurely turned his head to look at her, as if in a meaningful conversation with her. When she glanced at him to see if he bought her lie, he brutally slammed his head against hers. Within an instant, he grasped her neck and kept a firm hold of her, all the while checking to ensure nobody had been alerted to his actions.

_Such soft skin..._

Tearing himself away from such thoughts, he carefully adjusted her so that she seemed to be sleeping as peacefully as possible. He carefully brushed her hair away from her face.

_So soft._

Forcing his body back into his seat, he clenched his jaw to fight off the headache he knew was coming. He hadn't had to use such brutal acts of coercion in years. After such a monotonous period of all his clients doing as he said, he was aching for some acts of defiance. But out of all the people it had to be, why her?

A tickling sensation down his forehead ripped him from his thoughts. He swiped his hands across it to find a thick droplet of blood lining his fingertips. Hurriedly wiping and dabbing, he cleared up the more noticeable blood and not a moment too soon.

"How's she doing?" asked the haughty air hostess.

"Oh, much better, thank you," Jackson offered another award-winning smile.

As soon as she walked off to peck at other passengers, he switched off the light and unbuckled his seatbelt.

_Time to get this shit sorted out._

O-O-O

Lisa woke up to a loud rumble and the nauseous rocking of a turbulent plane. Grabbing her forehead, she pieced together everything that had bought her up to this point.

_Oh, please say it was a dream. A dream, God please!_

"I want you to get excited about your life."

_He__'__s real._

"But you gotta get real."

His tone was condescending and mocking. He had the book and was reading from it. Oh god, how did he get the book? Had he killed the lady? The sweet little lady. She had been so innocently pulled into this mess, and she wasn't the only one who would die if Lisa didn't do something.

"I'm challenging you, starting now, to stop dealing in opinions and assumptions, and start dealing in facts."

Lisa turned her head around to find the old lady. She found her, head lolling, in her seat. She was dead! Lisa fought the urge to scream out for help.

"Fact: Fearing to act is human. Failing to act, is just plain dumb," Jackson continued, pleasantly unaware of Lisa. "Fact: Thinking when you should be acting will only make your head hurt."

A rather harsh bout of turbulence shook the plane and the old lady jumped and woke up. Lisa sighed with relief and flopped back against her seat. At least she wasn't dead, but whatever Jackson did next could mean the complete opposite for herself.

"I'm not making this up, Leese, it's right here."

Jackson's voice made her head throb. She pressed her hand harshly against her eyes. Maybe if she pressed hard enough, this nightmare finally end and she would be back in Texas with her grandmother as a little girl with her whole life ahead of her. She looked at him and almost sobbed. He was giving her a smug smile. He had known what she had assumed about the old lady. It gave him power to see her so afraid.

_No, not again. Not anymore._

"Fact," he said, flatly. "You've been out for half an hour, and Keefe's room still hasn't been changed. So, I got you some aspirin. I need you coherent, Leese."

_I need to be coherent if I__'__m going to beat you. _

She viciously snatched the medicine from his hands and downed it quickly. Her head still throbbed, and she felt like she wanted to throw up. She knew, regardless of how much she begged or cried, he wouldn't let her leave his side again.

"Now, let's do this," Jackson said, pulling the phone from its holder.

Lisa closed her eyes as the phone was thrust in her face. She couldn't look at him, knowing she would yield to his commands under his cold and baleful gaze. She had to piece together a plan in her head before she could face him, or even taking the phone from his hands.

"If I do it, if I make that call..." she paused and looked at him. "Do you promise you'll tell whoever's outside my dad's house to go away?"

"You call, I call, Dad wakes up, puts on coffee, never suspects a thing, you go back to work, life goes on."

Lisa's eyes narrowed slightly, almost wondering if she had imagined his regretful tone toward the end of the sentence. It had to be an act. Nobody like him, doing the work he did could ever have a heart or feelings.

"I am now calling your hotel," Jackson stated, punching in the numbers he appeared to have memorised. "I don't have to tell you to sound convincing."

"You've said enough." Lisa hunched her shoulders, tears brimming in her eyes as she watched him.

"Good."

_Nobody should have eyes so cold. It__'__s unnatural._

"Good morning, Lux Atlantic Resort, this is Cynthia."

Lisa took three deep breaths before she plucked up the courage to respond to her colleague's voice. "Cynthia, it's Lisa."

"Lisa? You sound terrible! Are you okay?" asked the concerned girl on the other end.

"There's just..." She spared a glance at Jackson, who was watching her expectantly, "There's a lot of turbulence on the plane."

"You're still on the plane? I heard flights are delayed. Listen, you'll be so proud of me. We're all set for Keefe. Cristal on ice, the cigars, not so easy to find this time of night!"

Lisa quickly interrupted her friend's babbling. "Yeah, you know about that, I'm gonna need you to do me a favour, okay?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Cynthia asked.

Lisa pressed her head against the seat, biting her lip as she resisted the urge to scream at Cynthia for help. It would be so easy to do that.

"Cynthia, please don't ask me again if I'm okay," Lisa snapped, voice thick with emotion.

"I just really hope that you're-"

There was a tiny beep, followed by a dead line. Lisa sucked in a breath and was about to tell Jackson the phone had been cut off when realisation dawned on her.

_He won__'__t know! My god, Cynthia thank you so much for your insane need to talk so much!_

"Look, uh, something's come up." Lisa spoke into the phone, desperately trying to seem like nothing had changed. "We gotta change Keefe's room. Um, can you pull up the file? We're gonna move him to room four-zero-eight-zero. The pin is four-eight-eight-two. I'm gonna need you to take-"

Lisa jumped as the phone was viciously snatched from her hands. She slammed her fist onto the arm rest as Jackson spoke into the phone mockingly and then saw the display 'temporary service disruption. Please try again later'. She hadn't realised he'd noticed other passengers looking at their phones with confusion.

"Hm," he huffed, slamming the phone down. "Pretty clear thinking, given the circumstances. Let me guess, some sort of stress management courses? They're really paying off." He paused then looked at her, fire dancing in his once cold eyes. "When we get outta this-" He leaned closer, his lips almost brushing hers. "I may have to steal you."

Lisa blinked as he smirked then turned away from her to hail the air hostess.

_Steal me? What in the hell does that mean?_

As the hostess explained that the phones occasionally cut off and then walked away, she looked at Jackson and noticed he seemed to be losing his cool demeanour. He sighed and pressed his fingers to his eyes, rubbing hard. She recognised that sign instantly. She had dealt with it countless times before: _stress_. She did the only thing she could think of.

"So what, you don't have a back-up plan?" she mocked, almost slapping herself for provoking him.

_Oh hell, if he__'__s stressed, I have the right to be equally stressed._

He inhaled deeply and puffed out his chest, jaw clenching as he sat upright and straightened himself out.

"Why are you doing this here?" she whispered, hoping she could get through to him somehow.

"Blame your grandmother!" he snarled, turning his head to pin her to her seat with anger in his gaze. "She keeled over, you hopped on the next flight out, Keefe changed his plans, and here we are."

_This doesn__'__t make any sense!_ Lisa thought as the air hostess offered them complimentary snacks. _It could have been much simpler. Why not just assassinate him from the room he was allocated?_

"So what happens if they don't start working?" she asked, almost dreading the answer.

He leisurely turned his head to stare at her. His lips curled into a sinister smile, but she didn't fail to notice how his grip tightened on the armrest or the flash of regret in his eyes.

He leaned closer to her again, this time as cool and composed as he'd been at the start of their flight. She could feel herself recoil back into the chair as she felt completely overwhelmed by the intensity of his stare. All the flashes of his natural human reactions she had seen were shoved to one side as he said his next words with such an ominous tone.

"You bury your dad in a closed casket."

Even though she had anticipated such an answer, she couldn't help but sob and pull away from him. His clarification of what she had assumed seemed to weigh down on her shoulders even more so than before.

O-O-O

They sat in amiable silence for a couple of minutes. Jackson couldn't help but shake his leg in anticipation. His occasional glances would alternate between his watch and the phone, almost as if he were willing time to stop or the phones to start working again, whichever came first.

He couldn't help but mull over what he had said to her in anger. Steal her. Could he do it? Would he do it, or would he let the plan pan out first? He hadn't meant to let that bit of information slip, but his anger had got the better of him. Regardless of the fact that he had spent a couple of months in anger management courses, he had been known to slip up in the past. He knew, now, that he had to keep his mouth shut and not disclose any more information than necessary. She already knew more than she should have, and that included the people she'd met.

"I know him."

Lisa's hoarse voice snapped him from his thoughts. Was she making conversation? That was rich.

"Know who?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Keefe," she pressed, as if she thought him to be thinking of the same person. "He's a really decent man."

"Well, sometimes bad things happen to good people." Jackson said with an indifferent shrug. He looked at her, a genuine smile across his lips, "Like you."

He knew he had said that with some regret in his voice. He was human, after all. He couldn't help but feel the way he did at that moment but it had still caught him off guard how much he really meant it. He continued to stare at her as she looked away to analyse what he had just said.

"You know I've known you for a while now, Lisa. Before tonight, I mean." She looked at him with bewilderment.

"And as far as I can tell, your life revolves around your job. The occasional cocktail at the corner café; the classic late night movies...Oh, and scrambled eggs at three am."

He seemed almost contemplative, attempting to piece together what had bought about this routine. "What turned you into such a loner? Was it your parents' divorce?" He paused to stare at the back of her turned head and then it dawned on him. It seemed almost comical to him really,

"Wait, did someone break your heart?"

He watched her shoulders slump over in defeat. Who was the man that had broken her heart? He had never known someone to be so broken after a relationship. There had to be something else, surely. The way she avoided his questions meant a deeper meaning to her lifestyle. Of course, he knew she was weary and more than a little pissed that he knew everything there was to know about her. He had dealt with enough cases to know that people loathed knowing they were being followed and tracked, no matter how hard they tried to prevent it. No, something was hidden deep within her, something that had been ingrained into not only her mind, but also her soul.

"I have to go to the restroom," she requested suddenly.

Jackson shoved aside his soulful psychoanalysis and fumbled around in the seat pocket to pull out the now-empty water bottle.

"Best I can do."

He held up the water bottle, fully aware of her 'are you kidding me?' look.

"Okay, you know what you got me," she said slowly, resigning herself to her predicament. "I'm gonna make that call, when I can _make_ the call." He smiled at her, still holding the bottle. "But right now, you gotta let me go. I _need_ to go."

Her pleading, watery eyes did nothing for him, but his assignment and what would happen if he failed did. With a sigh, he agreed to her request.

"Okay, I trust you."

Jackson inhaled as Lisa pressed up against him to slide past him into the aisle. He felt her wobble on her feet, and instinctively reached out a hand to straighten her out. She glanced up at him and stopped. Jackson watched her, waiting for her to react to their close proximity. He saw her eyes darken and she leaned forward ever so slightly as his grip on her arm tightened.

"Bathroom," she whispered suddenly, pulling her arm from his grasp and sliding past him.

Jackson smiled and let her pass, turning and casually leaning against his seat to watch her walk to the bathroom. He saw her glance quickly around the cabin as she stumbled closer to the restroom, then, realising it was occupied, slumped over to lean against the wall. He continued to watch her, chanting a mantra, willing her to turn around and look at him.

_Bingo_._ Good girl, Leese._

O-O-O


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **See last couple of chapters for details!

**Author's Note: **To make up for my terrible behaviour, I wanted to say sorry by giving you another chapter to keep you busy whilst I write up the next chapter! I'll get on it now, I promise!

Chapter Six

She could feel his steady gaze on her form. Her body shivered with an emotion unfamiliar to her as she acknowledged how she was the only person on the entire flight who had his attention.

"You in line?" asked a child-like voice from behind her.

Lisa whipped her head around to see the little girl from the airport standing patiently behind her. She quickly risked a glance at Jackson to see him watching her intently, so she forced herself to pay attention to the little girl.

"Yeah," Lisa replied, swallowing heavily, "Do you wanna go?"

"You were here first," the young girl said, shaking her head.

Lisa nodded and turned away. She had hoped that the little girl would accept her offer to go ahead of her. At least it would have bought her some time to think of another plan to get some attention to Jackson.

The bathroom door slid open and Lisa threw herself past the previous occupant, ignoring the bemused looks she was given. She slammed the door shut and pushed herself against it, before glancing at herself in the mirror. She looked perfectly fine, but her mind was scattered all over the place. She had enough on her mind already, and to top everything off, she was being held hostage on a plane with no means of escape.

_First my refrigerator goes bust, Nana__'__s gone, Bailey goes missing, and then _this.

She began to sob, aware that if she didn't let it out now, she would break down in front of Jackson again; a weakness she wasn't prepared to show him a second time around.

Her stress levels rocketed. She felt a wave of queasiness threaten to overbalance her once again and so slipped onto the floor to crawl over to the toiler and dry retch. Her stomach coiled and stretched as the effects of the alcohol with no food took its toll on her. She moaned in pain and threw herself away from the toilet, willing the pain to one side. She could feel a hot flush bare over her as her stomach began to roll again.

"Oh god," she groaned, slapping her hands to her sweaty forehead. "Okay, get up."

She forced herself to stand up and overpower her body's need to spew out the unwanted poison in her system. Leaning over the basin, she turned the tap on and began to thoroughly rinse out her mouth. She could taste the remnants of bay breeze mingled with sleep breath.

Still sobbing, she pumped out some soap from the dispenser and began to wash her hands. As the foam began to form within her hands, she paused and looked at her hands as an idea struck her. She looked at the mirror then back at her hands.

She swiped her soapy fingertips across the mirror and was almost overcome with euphoria as it left a lathered trail. In quick, deft motions, she spelled out what she hoped would help her grab some attention from the next person in the bathroom after her. If it was the little girl, she would tell the air hostess as soon as she saw it.

_18F has bomb. If that doesn__'__t get any attention, I don__'__t know what will._

She stepped back and began to fumble around for the lock, hoping she didn't take as long as she thought she did. Jackson didn't need any other reason to get suspicious of her. Once she got out of the bathroom safely, she just needed to wait a couple of minutes and this whole nightmare would be over.

She gasped in shock as she stepped out of the restroom.

O-O-O

"I was wondering..."

It took him the entirety of a second to spot the message on the mirror, and as soon as he saw it, everything happened in an instant. He slapped a hand to her mouth and pulled her to him with the other, kicking the bathroom door shut with his foot and locking it quickly as he shoved her roughly against the wall.

He saw Lisa close her eyes at the force of his push, but his mind couldn't stop reeling in anger as he stared at the message she had cleverly displayed on the mirror. She instantly began her attempt to cry out against his hand and use every limb she could to push and shove against him so she could dislodge herself from his grasp.

"Don't fight me," he growled, gripping her hip tightly. "You're all worked up from being so creative. Breathe."

He saw the flash of fear in her eyes, heightened as they both heard some muffled voices coming from the other side of the door. Jackson's hand slid to rest on her lower back as she stood up straight and pressed his body against hers again. She stopped breathing, and chanced a look at Jackson to see his eyes darken as they locked gazes. She did nothing except blink as he smirked and loosened his grip on her mouth. He was surprised when she didn't cry out to anybody.

As the voices faded into the distance and none followed, Jackson remembered why they were in there. He grasped Lisa's arms and shoved her against the wall by the door, gripping his hands around her cheeks to watch her every emotion. He wanted to be able to read her up close and personal.

"Please, just stop whoever's at my dad's house," she begged, clenching his forearms and avoiding his gaze.

"I already have, by _twice_ intercepting these little communiqués." He pulled her away from the wall and forced her to look at him. "You know, if they'd have fallen into the hands of a by-the-book-stewardess, she'd have gone straight to the cockpit, and we'd have landed somewhere else." He shook her as he spoke. "If that happens, Leese, our guy in the BMW's gonna know about it, so do dad a favour and stop. Gambling. With. His. Life."

_Don__'__t make me do it, Leese. I don__'__t want to have to, but if I must, I will._

Jackson pulled back as Lisa took a deep breath and turned to face him, staring him dead on in the eyes. He almost laughed out loud as she began to preach to him, hoping she could sway his decision.

"You don't have to do this," she whispered. "Any of this."

He didn't miss the way she stood straight and glanced at his lips. Was Lisa affected by him, the same way he was by her? Of course, she was a pretty woman and he had felt some form of attraction to her, especially after watching her for the better part of eight weeks. He had seen the way she looked on her worst days, and her best.

Somehow though, the way she trembled as he towered over her like an ominous shadow and yet still tried to woo him over to her side of thinking, stirred an unknown feeling inside Jackson. He was caught off guard when he found himself leaning closer to her, his eyes focused on her lips. His anger towards what she had done, the sense of betrayal he had felt after he said he trusted her, seemed to evaporate as her hand dropped from his arm to grasp his shirt instead and pull him closer to her.

He leaned over her, his arm now pressed against the wall, to press his lips against the corner of her mouth. He watched her eyes close at the tenderness of his gesture. He hardly expected himself to be capable of such an act, but instantly claiming a kiss from her suddenly seemed like a dishonest thing to do.

He watched as she shivered when his rough stubble brushed against her cheek. Her mouth flew open in a small 'o' and she let out a little gasp, giving Jackson the opportunity to take lead and claim her lips under his own.

Her lips were soft and warm against his. He felt her body stiffen in surprise at his bold motion, and almost pulled back to make a cocky remark when he felt her tilt her head back and her lips begin to move in slow movements against his.

Her quiet moan seemed to enhance his confidence as his tongue found passage into her mouth. They both tasted each other, him more willing, her hesitant, and within moments they were both locked in a passionate declaration of their attraction to one another.

For a time neither bothered to take into account, they stood against each other, deepening their kiss further. Jackson's hand slid from her chin to her throat where he rested in against the top of her chest. He knew that if she pulled back now, he would only pull her into another kiss, one that he was sure he would be unable to stop. Lisa's hands still lay dormant in a fist as she gripped his shirt with raw intensity.

Never had Jackson felt the rush of excitement when kissing a woman. Granted, he had never allowed himself to become so close to someone of Lisa's position in an assignment, but even when he had slept with other women he had never felt the pure, carnal desire he now felt for this frail woman he held in his hands.

Lisa suddenly wrenched her lips from his, turning her head away and taking her bottom lip into her mouth to bite down on. Jackson was ready to possess her lips under his once again when an unfamiliar sight caught the corner of his eyes. He watched her as he let the hand resting on her throat slip down her chest. Eyes following her carefully, he bit his own lip as his thumb hooked along the lining of her blouse and pulled it aside slightly. The scar that rested there seemed to fuel anger within Jackson.

"Someone do that to you?" he asked softly.

_How dare somebody hurt her! _

"No," she replied, shaking her head in fear.

_She__'__s lying._

"Is that what it is?" he pressed, his teeth clenched in anger as she blatantly lied to his face.

Her entire body shook as she once again answered, "No."

Something inside of Jackson snapped. It was as if Lisa's lies bound together with their passionate, if brief, moment of tenderness, this newfound scar and the assignment had suddenly taken its toll on him, and he was going to take some of it out on Lisa, one way or another.

"You know what I think?" he sneered, his eyes boring into hers coldly.

He instantly gripped her viciously by her throat and threw her across the bathroom to slam her against the opposite wall where the basin was. Her head thudded against the mirror and he saw her lose focus, but he paid no heed as his fingers tightened around her throat. He was close to losing his mind with this woman.

"You know what I think?" he repeated, ignoring her sharp intakes of breaths. "I think you're not such an honest person, because I've followed you for eight weeks now and I never saw you _once_ order anything but a _fucking_ sea breeze."

Flailing her feet and grasping his arm, Lisa gasped out, "I can't breathe..."

Jackson's nostril's flared as he inhaled her scent. Even as she moaned and wheezed under his grip, he still found himself wanting to feel her warm lips against his own. Tightening his grip for a fraction of a second to make a statement, he yanked his hand away and turned to the mirror to assess how to deal with the problem at hand. He pleasantly ignored the woman next to him as she coughed and breathed.

Angrily, he yanked some paper towels from the holder and drenched them in water. With irritated and rushed movements, he began to wipe away her message from the mirror.

"I never lied to you, Leese," he began conversationally, as if unaware his hostage was gasping for air. "Know why? Cause it doesn't serve me. We're both professionals. We have the will and the means to follow through. Because when we don't, our customers aren't happy. And when they're not, we suffer and _our _lives go to _shit!_"

His voice stayed consistently low and threatening, rasping out his rant in a way he knew would reach Lisa personally. What he had said was all true. They both worked in the sort of business where they dealt directly with customers and if the customer wasn't happy, then being fired would be the least of _his_ worries.

He threw down the sloppy towels, smirking when she flinched and gripped the side of the wall. She gasped when his hand touched her cheek and turned her to face him. He seemed so calm and collected, despite his heavy breathing.

"And that's not going to happen, is it?" he asked, raising his eyebrows expecting a reply.

They both paused, him waiting, her attempting to defy him.

"No," she finally whispered.

"Good," he replied, thankful he had finally got through to her. "Because I'm going to tell you the phones are working again." She looked away from him. "Are you sure we got a deal this time? Huh?"

"Yes," she mouthed.

He smirked and cockily remarked, "Peachy."

He pulled away from her and faced the mirror, smoothing out his hair and straightening his shirt. He rubbed his lips then paused, a provocative retort forming in his mind. He grabbed her chin again and leaned down, grinning broadly when she looked at him.

"Well, thanks for the quickie."

O-O-O

Lisa froze.

_How dare he? How _dare_ he?!_

He then had the nerve to press his lips against hers in a kiss. When his lips lingered, she cried out and shoved him away, tears forming in her eyes.

He looked at her, akin to that of an animal bearing down on its prey. He winked at her and held out his hand, offering to help her out as he opened the latch on the door. She would have let him take her out of this cabin holding her hand had he not made such a callous remark.

"Come on," he urged, grabbing her upper arm and hauling her into the aisle.

When they both exited the bathroom, she paused to hear what the air hostess said when she called Jackson over. She almost choked from embarrassment.

"Excuse me!" the hostess exclaimed. "This isn't a motel."

She felt her hand itch to wrap around his throat as she heard his smug tone when he replied with a simple, "Sure."

_I__'__m not going through this again. I won__'__t be beaten._

_Not again._

A flash of an object caught her eye as she walked down the aisle to her seat.

O-O-O


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Jackson cursed under his breath. As he walked back to his seat, hot on Lisa's heels, he couldn't help but replay their kiss. It was the most thrilling kiss he had ever received. What clearly surprised and annoyed him was his sudden state of arousal. He felt like he should have yanked her back into that bathroom and given that air hostess something to _really_ berate them for.

It was hardly company protocol for the manager to maintain any sort of physical contact with the _client_ unless it was under the form of self defence, butJackson had his ways to get around Gerard. Getting around the Council was the next step.

_They don't have to know._

As the pair slipped into their seats, Jackson glanced around the area and saw various responses to, what he assumed, was the frantic coupling they had heard. His glances were met with looks of disgust, approval, some curious and one man looked particularly livid.

_Somebody hasn't been laid in a while._

Lisa fidgeted next to him, her body turned away with her head pressed up against the window. He saw the blush spread across her face, fully aware of what the passengers were thinking. Jackson looked at her curiously, his mind drifting to the scar on her chest. Before he could get too wound up, he wrenched his thoughts away from her and onto the assignment.

"I need you to pull yourself together, Lisa," he sneered, buckling up. "We seemed to have attracted a little attention. Once they've made their rounds, we'll make the call."

O-O-O

Lisa felt sick. Her stomach was churning and she was getting dizzy. She felt like she was about to commit a murder, and she was, if she was truthful about it. She was knowingly, albeit not willingly, aiding a threat to the country in the killing of a politician.

Lisa suddenly paused. She held her breath and closed her eyes. It had suddenly dawned on her that she was betraying herself. If she let this happen, all the promises she made to herself would be for nothing. Would she really admit defeat?

_Never...never again._

"Trash?" the flight attendant drawled, looking pointedly at the couple.

Lisa glanced at Jackson and saw his face light up with a cute, boyish smile. She opened her mouth and gasped quietly, unaware that she was gaping at the way his eyes sparkled with mischief.

_He looks so innocent...What is he really like inside? Does he have a heart, or is there nothing?_

The roguish look instantly fell from his face and was replaced with the stoniest facade she had seen from him yet. His hand reached across and roughly snatched the phone from its receiver, swiping her card and dialling the number. Shoving the phone under her nose, he swallowed thickly and stared at her.

"It's time," he murmured.

Steeling herself, she forced her hand to take the phone from him and lifted it to her ear. Jackson's cool hand grasped hers and he stopped her in her tracks, transferring the phone to her other ear so he could see the phone display.

"Thank you!" he said smugly.

Lisa felt numb and heavy. This entire situation felt completely surreal. It was as if she was witnessing this whole night play out before her like some sort of television thriller. The monotonous ringing didn't even register in her mind until Cynthia called out twice.

"Cynthia, it's Lisa."

"Hey you!" Cynthia hollered, uncannily cheery for such a time in the morning. "So I guess you still need that favour?"

"Yeah," Lisa answered. "I was checking with Dan Young from maintenance. We can't put Keefe in that room."

She could feel Jackson watching her intently as Cynthia replied. "But he always stays there."

"I know," she gasped out, "but they were fixing a water valve in the master bath and they didn't fix the right one, so if anyone uses the plumbing..."

"The shit'll hit the fan!" Cynthia finished, eloquently. "So where do we move him to?"

Lisa paused. She realised that when the investigators put the evidence together, everything would be traced back to her. They would interview all the staff, Cynthia would say that Lisa authorised it because there was a plumbing problem, Dan would say that there was no problem, Lisa would be traced to being conveniently out of the country and nobody would suspect Jackson Rippner.

_A nice clean job._

"Lisa? You still there?"

"Four zero eight zero," came the instant response.

"Four zero eight zero...got it. Okay, his security people will be..."

"You know what, you're right they're not gonna be happy, so just..." Her heart skipped a beat, "tell them I authorised it."

"Okay. Oh my God!" Lisa could hear Cynthia begin to shuffle around as the panic settle in. "The cigars. The Cristal. There's hardly time, Leese. I better go!"

There was a click, and the line went dead. Lisa's trembling hand slammed the phone back into the holder.

_It's done. I've made the call. I killed somebody._

O-O-O

"Outstanding!" Jackson smirked, turning his face away from her.

He meant it. Her conversation with Cynthia had flown from her lips as if she were a natural. There was barely a hiccup, and Cynthia hadn't suspected a thing. If she wasn't such an _angel_, he knew that she would be up at the top with him in his line of work.

"We're close," he whispered, more for his benefit than hers.

He felt Lisa fidget beside him, and was surprised when she shoved the air phone under his nose, watching him with an expectant stare. He was genuinely confused as to what she wanted.

"What?" he asked befuddled.

"You know what," she said, staring up at him with doe eyes full of tears. "My dad. Make the call. Your part of the deal."

He stared at the offending object, and then looked up to her face. Scoffing, he took the phone and paused. Not even a second later, he shook his head and put it back in the receiver.

"I still need you," he replied simply.

"You promised!" she begged, tears threatening to pour.

_Jesus, Leese, you don't half make this fucking hard._

"I'll keep that promise," he assured her, hating the innocent look she gave him, "as soon as we're on the ground, I'll get confirmation that Keefe has been handled..."

Jackson was surprised when Lisa suddenly snapped at him. "While you wait, what if your guy decides to kill my dad because _you_ didn't make the call?"

He was rather impressed by the instantaneous altering of emotions. She seemed so innocent and frail one moment, and fiery and full of fury and flashy remarks the next. Truth be told, he loved to see her become riled. He loved a good game or two, especially when his opponent was someone as thrilling and endearing as this one.

"He doesn't move unless I say. He's a _good dog._ He responds only to his master's voice." He grinned at her cockily. "It'll all be over soon. The Keefe's will be history, your dad will be safe, we'll both go back –"

Lisa interrupted him. "Wait, what did you say?"

"What?"

"His family's with him? You're gonna kill his family too?"

The way she looked at him sent a shiver down his spine. It was pure and utter disgust.

_Fuck._

Jackson swallowed. "Somebody wants to send a big, _brash_ message; that's their business. I do my part..._move on._"

_Double fuck, Leese. Like I don't feel so goddamn bad about this already, you just go ahead and rub it in my fucking face!_

O-O-O

Lisa almost gagged. She felt doubly sick than when she was making the call. Not only was she now an aid to the murder of an infamous politician, she would be connected to the brutal homicide of his wife, son and daughter.

_They're both so young. They don't deserve this. What have I done?_

If she'd have known the rest of this madman's plan, she would have yelled at him to kill her _and_ her father. There was no way in hell she would have let him take down two young children. It was just _wrong._

"Oh my _God!_" Lisa moaned.

"Lisa...shhh..." he whispered, pressing a finger to his lips.

Lisa pressed her hands into her mouth, muffling the screams she knew were threatening to escape. This had gone horribly, _horribly_ wrong.

O-O-O

Jackson was ready to tear his hair out. He needed Lisa to calm the fuck down, and she wasn't doing any of that. His colleagues were barely out of earshot and anything out of the ordinary would mean them coming to investigate, making an entire spectacle of this job; passengers and crew members be damned.

He had let out too much information already. She wasn't meant to know his line of work. She wasn't meant to know about his _dog_. She wasn't meant to pick up on his slip about Keefe's family. God damn it, Lisa was too fucking observant.

"They're young, Jackson." Lisa's soft voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "They're not even teenagers."

"That's not my problem, Leese," Jackson replied coldly, straightening his shirt cuffs out. "I've been given a job to do. I don't do my job right, I get fired. It's not different from what you do."

"It's every bit as different!" she hissed, breathing heavily.

"Why, Leese? Huh? You wanna tell me _how _it's so goddamn different?" Rage danced behind his icy blue eyes. He was so close to losing it. "You're a manager; just like me. You manage a group of employees; just like me. You get your wage from the government; just like me. You live to make the customer happy or else you don't get paid; _just like me. _One fuck up and you're out; _just like me. _Except the difference between that one...is that _I. Get. Killed._ Want to know some more differences?" Jackson was leaning dangerously close to Lisa, who had recoiled as soon as his tirade began. "You like to _brag_ about your managerial position; I like to keep it a little bit quiet. You leech money from the public, but do it with exceptional room service and consumer quality; I do it out in the open, with fuck all to hide. Does the government know we exist? Of course they fucking do! Politicians wouldn't be where they were if people like us weren't hired to commit some sort of _blasphemy_. We live, just like every other person in the world, to make money and become something. My idea of making my way in this world is slightly more extreme than yours."

His last sentence was spoken with a hint of sarcasm. He could see the cogs in Lisa's head turn as she processed all the information he had just spewed out.

_How is it that with one little sentence, Leese, you make me spill my whole life out to you?_

"But what you're doing is wrong, Jackson," Lisa said softly.

"By who's standards, Leese?" Jackson laughed, interlocking his fingers and staring at the headrest in front of him, "Shove a nine year old into my shoes and force him to grow up as I did...we'll see how he looks at the world."

"Jackson..."

"Shut up, Lisa."

She kept her mouth closed.

O-O-O


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **Sadly, I do not own anything associated with Red Eye...But if there was any way I could possibly buy Jackson, well..... But no....not mine.

**Author's Note:** I accidentally forgot to put my disclaimer and author's note in the previous chapter. I was in a rush to post it up because some people were getting tetchy (a certain cousin, I shall say). But all in good favour, as she gave me a kick up the backside to get to writing again!  
Before I give you the next chapter, I'm giving a huge shout out to my wonderful betas Artemis Day and bregobeauty. Help and support is much appreciated!  
And finally, a very warm thank you to my ever- encouraging reviewers. MythStar Black Dragon, citylights0788 and DarkestStarRMS, I give kudos to you guys!

Chapter Eight

Lisa was terrified. She had a couple of minutes until the plane landed, and all she had as her weapon of choice was a Frankenstein pen. She was quickly running out of options.

She rolled her eyes and dropped her head to look down and, as if by some sort of revelation, she noticed her scar peeking out from under her top. Quickly glancing up at Jackson, her mind formulated a plan. Whether she could pull it off was one thing, but surely she could justify this coming homicide as self-defence against a threat to the country?

Leaving little room for argument with herself, she gasped and moaned before doubling over herself in pain. She almost choked as she realised how her moan sounded similar to the one she had made when they were locked together in the bathroom. In an instant, she decided to use it to her advantage to get his attention on her and so she moaned again, this time a little louder.

"What's wrong now?" he asked, irritated.

Clearly, he was still pissed off about their previous conversation. She was sorely tempted to make a smart remark against him but decided against it. She needed to gain his sympathy and lure him into a false sense of security, just like he did with her.

"You hit me on the head and slammed me against the wall, remember?" she gasped out.

There was a pause, which was then followed by a sneering response of, "Well, suck it up."

_Asshole._

"We've come too far. Don't blow it now." She tilted her arm and slipped the hidden pen from her skirt. "Come on, sit up. _Sit up, Leese._"

When she did, she glanced at him to see if he had noticed. Satisfied he hadn't, she turned her head to stare out of the window, fingering the pen as she did so.

"We're almost there," he sighed.

O-O-O

The final announcement came over the speakers. Jackson pulled out his cell phone and held it up so that Lisa could clearly see what he was doing. Although it was strictly forbidden to use it on the plane, he sent a message to his associates, confirming they were on schedule. He saw Lisa fidget as she read the message and had to suppress a smirk from forming.

"Once we're at the gate, I'll follow you into the terminal, we'll hit Starbucks, grab a couple of lattes, kill ten, fifteen minutes till I get the call that Keefe's been taken out. And then...I walk outta your life. Well...Once I'm out of your line of sight, I'll call off Mister Killer from outside Dad's and then you're free. Free to yell and scream. Call your dad; tell him to run to the neighbours. Sound good?" he finished, raising his eyebrows.

"Whatever you say," she replied, staring out of the window and avoiding his eyes.

"What, no questions?" he asked, heavily surprised as she gave him that simple remark.

She turned to look at him, eyes heavy with weariness and pain. He unwittingly felt his chest tighten as she looked at him, defeated. It was unusual feeling this sort of sympathy towards a victim of his. If he was found out to have harboured such emotion, towards a woman at that, there would be no doubt he would be relegated to the Dogs.

"What good have they done me so far?"

He paused, wondering if she had meant for that question to be aimed at him, or her life.

"Best question you've asked all night," he managed to reply with, aware that his voice had wavered.

She turned her head away from him and watched as they descended into Miami. As they touched down with a series of bumps and shakes, Jackson applauded along with the rest of the passengers. It was then he became aware of Lisa's nonchalance as they landed.

_Well, at least one good thing came out of this from your side, Leese._

"It happened in the parking lot."

Jackson almost jumped as she spoke. He wasn't expecting her to speak to him at all.

"The scar. Two years ago. In the middle of the _day_."

He knew why she put the emphasis on 'day'. It made it seem all the worse; that it had happened out in public whilst the beautiful sun beamed upon the rest of Miami. Of course, he had figured out what had happened to her as soon as he had seen her scar and heard her denial. It seemed unlikely that it was somebody she knew.

"He held a knife to my throat...the _whole time_..." her voice quivered, and she didn't give him eye contact at all.

Even though he had guessed what had happened, it didn't stop his mouth from opening in shock. Having her confirm what he had assumed felt like he was somehow responsible for the broken spirit of this beautiful woman.

_Aren't you, Jackson? Look at her. If she wasn't broken before…_

"Ever since, I've been trying to convince myself of one thing, over and over."

_Oh, you fucking idiot, of course!_

"That it was beyond your control," he supplied, pleased with himself.

To his surprise, she shook her head, her brown curls bouncing as she did so. "No." Then she whipped her head around to look at him. She stared at him with such a fiery look of intensity, he watched her and felt his breath catch in his throat. She had never looked so beautiful to him, and yet in all that confusion he had forgotten what they were talking about.

"That it would never happen again."

He saw nothing else but her supple lips moving as she spoke. Her eyes were alive with fire and defiance. He was so proud of the way she thought and felt his arms start to move, wanting to steal one last kiss from her before he would be on his way.

The plane, however, had other plans. The fasten seatbelt sign pinged and dimmed out, distracting Jackson who tilted his head to look at it, almost glaring at disturbing his moment with her. It was the worst thing he had ever done in his career.

O-O-O

Lisa recoiled in horror as she saw the pen sticking out of his throat. How she had managed to embed it into his skin was beyond her, but she couldn't wipe the image of his puzzled face as he flailed and gasped.

_That's what it feels like to be betrayed, Jackson._

Knowing she wouldn't get another chance, she flew out of her seat and jumped over Jackson, deftly removing his cell phone from his waistband. Just as she thought she was out of his grasp, she felt his hand snake around her ankle and yank her back; throwing her off balance and land with an ungraceful thump into the aisle. She scampered upright and began to run; only glancing back when she was a safe distance away. Weaving in and out of the people, she saw him slip down onto the floor, doubled over in pain with his hand grasped tightly around the protruding pen.

She stopped when she saw the little blonde girl from the line at the bathroom. Knowing she wouldn't get through the crowd, she glanced around and decided to jump over the middle set of seats. Throwing apologies left, right and centre, she instantly found herself at the front of the plane, only just hearing the plastic bleach blonde lady yell for help.

"What's going on?" said the tall flight attendant who seemed to appear from nowhere.

"Th...There's a man back there. H-h-he needs your help," she stammered out, cursing herself as she lied miserably.

_What, no pen, no bravery, Leese?_

"Stay right there," replied the flight attendant.

Almost as soon as the flight attendant ran off towards the back of the plane, the doors were being opened. She heard somebody behind her yell towards hers, accusing her of stabbing Jackson. In a flash, she was out of the door and thankful that those early morning jogging sessions had finally paid off.

Reaching the entrance into the airport, she overheard the announcer call out for further security to the gate she had arrived from. She forced herself to walk and act curious, listening to the announcement with piqued interest. If they described her, she was screwed. Unfastening her sweater, she scrunched it up and threw it into a nearby garbage bin.

_I've wanted to get rid of it, anyway._

She needed to find something to occupy herself with until all the guards were cleared and sent to her gate. She spotted a pair of pretty looking girls chatting amongst themselves in the food court and immediately sensed her opportunity. Grasping a clipboard which was left on the checkout countertop, she purposefully strolled towards them and plastered on a smile.

"Hi," she greeted, met with looks of alarm. "I'm Wendy from airport food services. Have you dined at our terminal before?"

"Um yeah..." the blonde lady trailed off as she saw the guards rushing past them.

Lisa took this opportunity as both girls turned to look and fled, leaving the clipboard behind. She didn't need anybody else to remember her face.

O-O-O

Jackson groaned and touched the pen, flinching as it seemed to somehow lodge itself deeper into this throat. He could hear the panicked and curious mutterings of the passengers behind him. The ones that remained silent were the ones he should have been worried about.

"Okay sir – oh!" The small flight attendant shrieked as her eyes were level with his throat. Jackson moaned and stared at her, eyes bulging. "We have a doctor here for you."

Jackson's nostrils flared as he came face to face with Loren. Keeping up appearances, Loren rolled his eyes and groaned before his eyes landed on the pen. He genuinely recoiled in horror.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, before quickly recovering. "Don't speak. You don't wanna damage your vocal chords." He slipped on his glasses and examined it slowly. "Oh, it doesn't look too bad. It's just your windpipe, actually."

Jackson was becoming increasingly frustrated very quickly. He grasped Loren's suit and yanked him closer, staring at him. Each second lost was one second given to Lisa to escape.

_Fuck! Enough's enough!_

"It's not dangerous, really." Jackson grabbed the pen. "No, don't!"

He yanked the pen out, clenching his teeth as he felt relief and a whole new wave of pain wash over him. Ignoring the look of disgust from both Loren and the stewardess, he shoved them out of the way and discreetly pocketed the pen, before stalking down the aisle with his finger pressed against the gaping hole. As he got the front of the plane, he failed to notice the small blonde girl quickly push her bag out in front of him, causing him to fall flying through the air to land ungracefully onto the floor. His body shook in pain as his throat constricted and throbbed when he hit the floor. Composing himself, he turned to glare at the girl, almost growling as she smirked smugly and sank into her seat.

Gracefully pushing himself to stand, he marched down the aisle, ignoring the comments about the hospital and police. He only had one place he intended to visit today. As he passed the bleached lady, he yanked her scarf and, still walking, slipped it off from around her neck. He almost wished he could have strangled her with it.

_Fucking FBI_.

O-O-O

"Come on! Come on, come on!" Lisa whispered ferociously, trying to get the cell to work. It flashed up with no signal. "No! Shit!"

Almost close to losing her mind, she looked down from the view at the balcony where she stood by the news stand, and saw guards running up towards her. They couldn't have found her already!

Turning on her heel, she quickly walked away, praying that they weren't looking for her specifically. Finding an empty spot between some customers, she picked up a magazine and pretended to immerse herself in it.

_Florida homes....oh...my, that's expensive. FOCUS!_

She stepped back to curiously search for any more guards. To her horror, she saw Jackson instead, and at the exact same moment, he noticed her. Rage flared up on his face. Lisa gasped and dropped the magazine to turn and flee. She didn't bother to turn and look behind her to know that Jackson would be hot on her heels.

She had thought him to be incapacitated, if not dead. Surely a hit to the throat was enough to weaken somebody? She had felt herself shiver as the pen embedded itself into his throat under the guidance of her hand. The sickening feeling of it gauging a hole into his skin almost made her gag on her own sick as she recalled his throat roil and spasm as he gasped for breath. No matter how he had behaved toward her, her father or Keefe, she couldn't help but feel her heart clench as he stared at her in shock. Even though she had wanted to feel relief at having caused him that pain, she felt no better than him at having to resort to his tactics to defeat him.

_I did what had to be done. There's no going back._

Her eyes were beginning to brim over in tears. She didn't want to be in this situation. She wanted to be at home, safe and sound, tucked under a thick blanket with a cup of hot chocolate and a late-night movie.

Spinning her head around behind her, she saw Jackson's determined face; his arms and legs were pumping in rhythm as he was catching up to her fast and smoothly. Perhaps he would honestly have released her when the job was through, but now she knew that he was chasing her and it was personal. He would want to watch her die slowly and painfully at his hands. He'd find a way to make that happen...she knew he would. Unless she killed him.

At this thought, she looked behind her and instantly lost her balance. Grunting, she flew across the floor and felt the carpet burn her knees. Panting, she looked up and saw him closing the gap between them.

_No, no, no. Please!_

She pushed herself up and began to run again, this time ignoring her instinct to look behind and see where he was. There was no way he would do anything in public even if he did catch her...right?

_Yes!_

She was sweating and panting heavily with exhaustion. Her heart was pounding with fear and adrenaline as she jumped into the airport shuttle. She was willing the doors to close, but at the same time wanted him to reach her a second early to see what he would do. Would he make a spectacle in front of all these people, or would he wait until they were alone?

"Come on, come on, close. Close!" she hissed, not wanting to find out.

Her breath hitched as she saw him round the corner, and she instantly jerked back as the doors slid shut and he fell against it, slamming his fist into the thick glass acting as a barrier between them. He slammed it again, the pair of them ignoring the curious looks from passengers on both sides. She sighed in relief as the outer doors began to close, and watched him with bated breath as he jumped back and pumped a fist of anger in the air.

Lisa moved to the large window facing the airport and waited. A mere second later, Jackson approached the window. Their eyes met and they watched each other in disbelief as the train pulled away. Both were thinking the same thing as the distance between them grew.

_This isn't over yet._

O-O-O


End file.
